BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho State women's tennis team competed in the Barb Chandler Classic in Boise, Idaho where Boise State University hosted the Bengals along with Utah State, Montana State, and Weber State. In this tournament each "team" will be composed of two players from each school. Each of these teams will play a best of three matches. The first match will be a doubles match between all four players, and the second and third matches will be singles matches where each player will take on another from the opposing team.
Idaho State's play was highlighted by Sydney Morris and Hana Cho bringing home the Orange draw championship after defeating a Montana Grizz pairing 2-1.
The Bengals had four teams of two players each competing in three different draws in this tournament.
The first team competing for Idaho State was Asem Shoybek and Stefanya Shalakhova competing in the Blue draw. Shoybek and Shalakhova opened the tournament Friday with a 2-1 loss to Montana State. We saw the pairing drop their doubles match against MSU 7-6 (4), and Shoybek fall in her singles match 1-6, 0-6, although Shalakhova was able to win her singles match 5-7, 3-2 ret. The group turned it around the next day in their exhibition match vs a Montana Grizz pairing as they dominated, winning 3-0. The Bengal duo won their doubles match 7-5 and followed that up with Shoybek winning her singles match 1-6, 6-1, 6-1, and Shalakhova downing her opponent 6-2, 6-4. In the Blue draw consolation final the Bengal pair was unable to bring it home, losing to a Montana State group 3-0. In this match the Bengals fell in the doubles match 3-6, and in singles Shalakhova fell 3-6, 2-6, and Shoybek also fell 0-6, 6-2, 2-6.
The second team for Idaho State was the twins, Lola O'Lideadha and Sol O'Lideadha. The twins were one of two teams competing in the Orange draw for Idaho State. They opened on Friday with an opening round loss to a Montana State duo 2-1. In this match the twins lost the doubles match in a nail-biter, 6-7, (4). In the singles matches Sol O'Lideadha fell 3-6, 4-6 however, Lola O'Lideadha was able to down her matchup 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. In the Bengal pairings first consolation draw match they responded soundly, defeating their Weber State opponents 3-0. In the doubles match the twins won in a playoff 7-6 (5), and in singles Lola won in back-to-back playoffs 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), and Sol won 6-4, 7-6 (7). In the Orange draw consolation finals, the ISU duo went up against a different Weber State pair, falling to the Wildcats 2-1. The twins won the doubles match 6-2, but Lola fell in singles 2-6, 4-6, and Sol fell 2-6, 4-6.
The next team for the Bengals was Olivia Mikkelson and Megan Lang-Gould. This squad was representing ISU in the White draw. In their opening-round match they took it to their Montana State opponents, downing them 3-0. Behind some dominant pay the pair won their doubles match 6-3 and followed that up with a Mikkelson singles win 6-1, 6-2, and a Lang-Gould singles win 7-5, 6-4. In the group's White draw semi-final match they fell to a Boise State team 2-1. In the doubles match Mikkelson and Lang-Gould took down the Broncos 6-3, but in singles Mikkelson fell 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, and so did Lang-Gould 4-6, 6-3, 2-6. In the White draw 3rd place match the duo could not get it done, falling to a different Boise Stae Bronco team 2-1. In this match the Bengals won the doubles match 6-4, but fell in the singles matches, Mikkelson 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, and Lang-Gould 2-6, 4-6.
The final grouping for Idaho State was Sydney Morris and Hana Cho. From the get-go this pair was on a roll, rolling through their opening match against Weber State 2-1. In this one Cho and Morris lost the doubles match 3-6, but recovered in the singles, Cho winning 6-0, 6-3, and Morris winning 7-5, 6-4. In the pair's semi-final round they defeated a Boise State team 2-1. Falling in the doubles match 0-6, but once again remaining calm under pressure and taking care of business in the singles matches Cho won 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, and Morris won 6-2, 6-3. In the Orange draw championship, the Bengal pair went up against a team from Montana. To begin Idaho State could not get the doubles point, falling to the Grizz team 2-6. However, as they have done all tournament Cho and Morris rallied in the singles matches, Morris winning 7-6 (4), 7-5, and Cho winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to be crowned the Orange draw champions.
Head coach Gretchen Maloney shared her thoughts on the team's play in Boise this past weekend, "Such a great tournament and format. Each pairing played one set of doubles and then split and played singles. The teams had several good wins… Some tough losses, but lots of learning. Hana and Sydney played great together. Hana had a couple of wins against tough players, that she had not beaten. It was fun to watch her work through her matches and figure out how to win. After three weeks in a row of tournaments, I've seen a lot of growth and development in our ladies."
The Idaho State women's tennis team has their final tournament of the Fall season down in Utah on October 18th – 22nd for the ITA Regionals.
